North Carolina moves up kindergarten cutoff date

A law approved by North Carolina lawmakers says that beginning in 2009, children will have to turn 5 by Aug. 31 of the school year to be eligible to attend kindergarten in public schools. The current birthday cutoff is Oct. 16. Gov. Mike Easley says he will sign the measure into law.
Click here to read The Raleigh News & Observer article.

EARLIER: Children are deemed eligible to enter kindergarten according to an arbitrary date on the calendar known as the birthday cutoff — that is, when the state, or in some instances the school district, determines they are old enough. Since 1975, nearly half of all states have pushed back their birthday cutoffs. (New York Times)